Orgy of Capacitors: The Cap Thread
Jan 12, 2008 at 11:21 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 801

Jon L

For him, f/1.2 is a prime number
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Well, I suppose it's time for the capacitor thread. I set out to satisfy my curiosity regarding various caps with first-hand experience, and as such, these impressions are not meant to be the Bible or written in stone. Personal tastes, system synergy, and cycle of the Moon all apply.

What you see is my DIY capacitor burn-in setup w/ resistor and *some* of my caps.

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In the pic, we have VH Audio teflons (black), Auricaps (yellow), VSE oil caps(silver), ClarityCap SA (red), Almarro polyester (grey), Jupiter beewax caps (orange), Multicap PPMFX (white), Multicap RTX polystyrene (white), Vitamin Q oil caps (small silver tube), NOS TRW polystyrene caps (small silver), Multicap PPFX (not pictured), Hovlands (not pictured), and some large PS caps.

Mostly I am comparing these in coupling capacitor duty in a couple of amps, Almarro A205a MkII and Bottlehead Paramour I with C4S upgrade. Both amps are used to drive my headphones and speakers, mainly Headphile modded Sennheiser HE60 electrostats (via SRD7 MkII), AKG K1000, HE Audio EH1.2B electrostat headphones, and my custom speakers (Aurum Cantus G3 ribbon tweeter, Focal 7K2 midrange, actively-biamped).

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Almarro A205a MkII with Stax SRD7 MkII transformer and Headphile-modded Sennheiser HE60 "Baby Orpheus" electrostat headphones.

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Paramour 2A3 SET with C4S

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And the HE Audio EH1.2b electrostat headphones.

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If you have cap experience to share, feel free to post them here.

To start off with some comments. Don't believe everything you read in those "capacitor reviews" you see in mags, and capacitors, no matter how expensive and praised, will not "transform" turds into swan, not even the VCap teflons b/c caps will not *improve* anything. All they can do is minimize the self-harm done by them
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*EDIT* Some actual listening impressions added.

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V Cap Teflon

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These are worth the price, but if you read some people's descriptions, you would think the angels from heaven would descend and give you an eargasm. Not so. These will not transform your system or turn water into wine. They do have the least identifiable character and have the best control of various sound ranges. There is absolutely no overshoot or ringing when trumpets hit or when soprano kicks into high gear. Not lumpy, bloaty, overly-bloomy in any of the frequency ranges, and they do seem to let most of the details and information through unharmed and well-separated.

If I had to compare them in headphone terms, it would be like AKG K701 in general gestalt but with improved transparency and dead-neutral bass quantity/quality.

I *do* however detect a bit of what I call "teflon sound." It's very hard to actually describe, but those very familiar with how teflon-dielectric interconnects and other teflon caps like Relcap TFT sound will have an idea. Textures of notes are just a wee bit more "polished" and refined than live instruments, a bit more more "slippery" than should IMO. This is very subtle and a minor quibble, really, and if I had to use many caps in a cost-no-object component that has to have great transparency, VCap teflons would be my choice.

*Further thoughts added"

These really are great caps, and the defining feature that keeps popping in my brain is "transparency." The more caps I compare, the less descriptive adjectives are necessary for the VCaps while most other caps need various adjectives to describe their character. I sometimes wish these had more of that indescribable "magic" of the high-end Mundorfs, but this really comes down to personal preferences.

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Jupiter Beewax Cap

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The feel and appearance of this thing just does not inspire confidence. It feels like a piece of candle wrapped in paper, and these are known to have problems in warmer temperature environments. Do NOT install them near hot resistors, tubes, etc.

Sound-wise, I was expecting a mess of muddy blob based on appearance, but the sound is surprisingly transparent and clear, not as much as VCap teflons, but very good in absolute terms. There is *just* a bit more richness, tone, and girth to notes and voices, which are probably colorations, but Jupiter cap doesn't come across as overdone. What they trade away in absolute resolution, speed compared to VCaps, they battle back with more pleasing density, tone, and that indescribable musicality. Less separation of notes and a bit less anvil-taught in bass compared to VCaps, but there is plenty of treble and bass quantity.

I like them! I probably wouldn't use too many in a component, but a couple of them in a otherwise-squeeky-clean component can do wonders for just musical enjoyment.

I would say these are most akin to something like Grado RS-1, except with a bit more treble extension and less peakiness in the lower-treble/upper-mids...

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Siemens MKV polyproylene/metalissed aluminium/in oil

*edit* Origin of these caps discovered

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I bought these from VSE (Vacuum State Audio) when they were still selling them. They were said to be some secret industrial caps they found to sound better than others.

When I first installed them after burning them in for days, I *really* hated them. The highs seemed severely shut-in, bass bloated, and midrange seemed veiled and thick. But after playing the amp with music for some days, these effects seemed to diminish day by day, and eventually I found the balance to be quite pleasing. Further burn-in has happened, but I'm sure people's ears/brain need some time to adjust to PIO signature.

Once fully operational, these had incredible warmth, tonality combined with breath-of-life type of sparkle to midrange/vocals. These are not high-treble sparkles, but each syllable of vocals seemed more lit, dramatic, and enjoyable. Treble was never obviously "airy" or minutely detailed, but once settled in, the highs seemed to align and balance with mids. Same thing with bass. There's more bass than perhaps neutral, and there is some slowness to bass, but it's still pretty firm and hard-hitting with that roundness of tone.

Ultimately, I prefer the better non-oil caps for a bit more neutrality, but these have got me curious about Audionote silver-in-oils or Mundorf silver-in-oils. I will never pay the ridiculous price for AN, but I *may* try the Mundorf silver-in-oils at some point.

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Auricaps

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These are good. Too bad the prices took a bad hike for the end user over the years. They have nice detail, speed, musicality, and their sound gives an extra bloom to the sound, which will make them fit well into somewhat cooler-sounding components, especially SS. Not as resolving as Teflons and not as rich/dense as Oilers or Jupiters but a good Jack-of-all...

These worked surprisingly well for me when used as "bypass cap" for a larger (and cheaper) cap, imparting some of the nice detail and bloom to the combo.

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Claritycap SA

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One of the reviews available tout this cap highly, and it *is* a good cap at the very low prices they command. It wouldn't hurt to try some as E-speakers.com ships them free within U.S.

I found it kind of bland, kind of nondescript, and not great at any one thing. But there's also no glaring flaws or aberrances that can be distracting, either.

My main issue was the lack of resolution in the midrange. I couldn't hear and feel the sumptuous detail and texture that I know to be in the recordings. Some people say these still are a big jump up from Solens, and I would agree if you're talking about less grain and "strain" in the upper-midrange.

However, I can bypass the cheap Solen with a small nice cap like Auricap or Polystyrenes, which gets rid of a lot of the glare/strain while offering better detail resolution than unbypassed Claritycap SA. When I tried bypassing the Clairtycap, I did *not* get much better resolution, and I still preferred Solen+bypass.

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I suppose I will say more as my mood dictates and as I try some more stuff
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*Edit* Mundorf Silver-In-Oil added

Capacitor Impressions Continued.

Mundorf Silver-In-Oil

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I really did not know what to expect from these. Some people's reports mention things like "liquidity" and "smoothness," which led me to believe these would share a rather pleasant but not kick-you-in-the-groin resolution or power. Boy, was I wrong.

If push comes to shove, words like liquid and smooth *are* applicable, but there is so much more. The calling card of Mundorf SIO seems to be infinite shades of resolution riding on the oh-so-smooth sonic flow. There is enough detail for even detail freaks like me, and those who value life-like dynamic range and punch would love these as well.

Compared to other metallized poly caps, Mundorf SIO seems to be at least 2-3dB louder(!) at the same volume setting with punch that slams harder and truer.

This cap makes me very curious about the top-of-the-line Mundorf Gold/silver cap, which I happen to have sitting in front of me
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*More thoughs*

I must say these are probably the caps that most keeps me *wanting* to listen to music instead of rolling more caps. Musical enjoyment is obtained without short-changing detail or speed; what more can you ask for? The silver/oil is now 3rd in the Mundorf price scheme, and for many, that's all one needs/wants to spend on a cap.

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*Edit* Mundorf Silver/Gold added

Mundorf Silver/Gold Capacitor

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Mostly I have been comparing the Mundorf Silver/Gold with VCap Teflons, and this has been a tough one to get a handle on.

This may be a good time to concede that above a certain level, various great capacitors are not particularly "better," but rather akin to looking at the same object under subtly different lighting conditions and vantage points. VCap Teflons and Mundorf Silver/Gold share many sound qaulities, especially jet-black, noise-free background from which subtlest details seem to naturally emerge. Presentation of both are so natural and non-attention-seeking that both may come across as bland or boring when compared to certain capacitors with stronger personalities.

Long-term living with the caps, however, confirms the greatness of both caps b/c music remains inviting, refined, and eminently enjoyable, as opposed to fatiguing, wearing thin, and distracting.

Since audiophiles tend to obsess over the last 5-10% of differences, I will mention that Silver/Gold has a bit richer presentation from top-to-bottom with a bit creamier textures and a bit closer imaging. As one can imagine from this description, Silver/Gold doesn't *quite* seem to be as Nth-degree clean as VCaps but renders more proportion of recordings more tasty.

I do not believe detail resolution is any less than VCaps, but a tiny bit more harmonic "bloom" over the notes makes music both sexier and less pellucid at the same time. Some people will absolutely love this quality and call Silver/Gold much "better" than VCaps while others will absolutely declare VCaps to be the better cap for the same reasons. To throw more wrench into the equation, the optimal tube set for one cap is NOT the best set for the other cap and vice versa. Such is life.

I am also unable to directly compare Mundorf Silver/Gold to Mundorf Silver/Oil at this time due to my system configuration, but my preliminary sense is that the two are not all that different sounding, though the small amount of gold compound mixed with silver does seem to add just a wee bit extra harmonic richness and warmth. To be continued.

*More thoughts"

After listening more to the "neutral" camp of caps like Mundorf Zn and Relcap RTX, the calling card of Mundorf silver/gold has to be the come-hither midrange that is colorful without being colored, full of rich textures, and just bristling with life and vividness. I may respect some other caps more, but I love the Mundorf silver/gold like family.

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*Edit* Mundorf Zn added

Mundorf Zn Capacitor

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After a long love affair with Mundorf Silver/Oil, circumstances forced my hand to try the Mundorf Zn Tin Foil capacitor.

Some well-respected modders recommend the Mundorf Zn as one of the "most neutral" cap out there, regardless of cost, including Allen Wright of VSE (Vacuum State Electronics) fame.

Considering the Mundorf Zn costs less than 1/6th of their top-of-range silver/gold & oil, I was hoping this cap would turn out to be the giant-killer that saves our day and pocketbooks.

The good news. This cap has incredible "low-loss" sound. One gets the impression every little detail comes through and that musical speed does not get impeded. Bass is taught, punchy, and treble extension soars; midrange seems linear. Its sound signature is what many audiophiles would think of when words like "neutral, detailed, honest, etc" are used, and they would be right, uh..sort of.

The bad news. Compared to an exquisite cap like Mundorf silver/oil, what is not coming through as well is the harmonic beauty of the music, the "soul" if you will: overtones upon overtones gently bubbling to the surface as the singer sings the words and the trumpet makes those aching notes.

In addition, each instrument/voice does not seem as developed 3-D wise. Through Zn, they seem more 2-dimensional and "flat." Combined with its more dry (less bloomy) presentation, there is less involvement.

So I have mixed feelings about Mundorf Zn. Its sound is technically superior and "uncolored," an order of magnitude better than pretty much any other "cheap" cap you can buy. If I were designing/building a transparent preamp, I can see using the Zn in many places, judiciously mixing them with tube magic elsewhere to come out with supreme results. If you have a preamp/amp that's more dry and matter-of-fact to begin with, I would advise against the Zn.

Actually, I think the Zn may lend itself incredibly well as bypass caps in speaker crossovers due to its qualities. I'll get to that eventually.

*More luminations"

Upon reading back my own words, I realized they were too harsh for these wonderful caps. After your ears get used to their Teutonic charm, everything sounds just-so and perfectly musical, not wanting for anything obvious. Still highly recommended, and the price is a bonus.

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*Edit*

Sonicap Platinum Teflon Capacitor

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In order to prepare for the Sonicap Platinum, I actually reinstalled the VCap Teflon in place of Mundorf Zn in order to get used to the VCap again for awhile before popping in the Sonicap, which was running on the Cap break-in apparatus at the same time.

In short, the Sonic Craft website's description of its sound is pretty accurate:
"It is very fast, but full and rich. The presentation is ultra smooth without loss of detail, focus, or dynamics."

In direct comparison to VCap Teflons, SP (Sonicap Platinum) *was* a bit richer and a smidge creamier. We're talking about somewhat subtle differences, but SP was definitely a bit denser, darker, therefore subjectively a wee bit smoother through the midranges. Some will almost recognize a bit of this as found in a good paper-in-oil cap, minus the treble rolloff or bass slowness, of course.

The VCap still does come across as a teeny bit more transparent and lit-up, and what's somewhat special about the VCap is the fact it sounds *consistently* transparent/lit-up throughout its ranges, especially in the critical upper-midrange to low-treble transition; there's no peaks or bumps here even though the whole range is better lit-up.

With SP, even though everything else seems a bit smoother and richer, there seems to my ears a very narrow band, somewhere at the highest end of female vocal sibilance to top-hats, that appears to have the tiniest bit more "sparkle" than the rest of the range. I only mention it b/c it is a difference.

Overall, SP is a nice alternative to the VCap teflons and costs less. Just like anything in audio, some systems will synergize better with one or the other. For those who have listened and think VCap is a bit too literal or "sterile" (I don't personally) in their systems, Sonicap Platinum is a viable choice.

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Relcap RTX

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This tin foil/polystyrene cap has been around a long time, and many designers and modders swear by their use as bypass caps. Some more recent cap comparisons also confirm they are very good coupling caps by themselves.

The RTX had some big shoes to fill, replacing Sonicap Platinums, and I must say they did pretty well against the heavy hitters.

*Warning* Even after a long break-in, these caps sounded horrid for some hours after being soldered in, sounding grainy on top and anemic in the bass. Do not evaluate them without a long workout after solder dries.

After dust settled, these turned out to be very balanced top-to-bottom with no gross errors or peaks. Extension of frequency extremes was impressive, and the level of resolution was high without highlighting upper-midrange or upper-bass.

Compared to Sonicap Platinums, RTX didn't sound as dense and rich in the midrange, but it still managed to sound subjectively neutral, akin to some of those high-class red wines that's on the dry side as opposed to fruity and colorful. At a bit over half the price of Sonicap Platinums, these are a nice bargain in the cap world, but I wouldn't use too many in equipment that tends toward dryness in the midrange.

What really put the RTX in perspective was when I switched in Mundorf silver/gold again. Suddenly, I had beautifully colorful (but not colored) midrange that "popped" with effortless midrange dynamics. Musical textures just pulled your ears in, and that often-yearned-for "magic" was in the air. Mundorf silver/gold is almost three times the price of RTX, unfortunately, so save your pennies.
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*Edit*

Mundorf silver/gold vs. silver/oil

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I finally did some proper comparisons between these 2 capacitors, and while they do share the musical Mundorf house sound, their differences are significant enough that one should not automatically think a system synergistic with one will be synergistic with the other.

There are some who have concluded silver/gold is "not as good" as silver/oil, but I would not agree with that conclusion. However, they have sufficiently differing presentations and gestalt that yes, one "may" definitely prefer silver/oil in a given setup/preferences.

One word I would use to describe the main difference is "liquidity." While both are remarkably smooth, silver/oil has more liquidity, not enough to obscure detail but just enough to "massage" recordings that are not perfect. As a result, I am able to enjoy more percentage of my recordings through silver/oil, which liquifies a few percent of the upper-midrange/low-treble spittiness and hardness inherent in many recordings. Because silver/oil makes this range less noticeable, the high treble/air becomes relatively more noticeable, but upon closer analysis, the silver/gold has just as much upper end extension and air.

So once again, I still think silver/oil is the cap that most likely will have me keep listening to my (non-perfect) music collection instead of tweaking, but if your system is already leaning towards liquidity, silver/gold may be a better choice.
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Russian FT3 Teflon Capacitor

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I must first thank an Audio Circle member Gary (“GBB”) for loaning me the FT3 and K72 caps. Otherwise, I would have had to buy on eBay and wait a month for delivery. The FT3 is a great cap sonically, but its sheer size and weight can present a challenge in cramped spaces. Its lack of traditional leadouts also forces one to make his own; I had to solder some leftover leads as seen in the photo above.

This cap is exceedingly smooth, smooth, yet resolved like only teflon caps are. This evenness and lack of glare, grain, or bite can be disadvantageous for FT3, especially in quick cap-rolling A-B comparisons, where a cap with a more insistent personality will attract more attention and spotlight. However, after living with this cap for a long time, one has to marvel at its consistently musically-revealing nature and tonality. It doesn’t wear its detail resolution on its sleeve, yet when one chooses to listen for it, the extension in both directions are impressive as well as actual detail. Its trick is having equal resolution from top-to-bottom, so the whole is well, wholesome. It conveys music in a flowing, suave tonality and is the crooner of the cap crowd.
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Russian K72 Teflon Capacitor

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Probably the most hyped AND maligned cap out there. Some praise it while others despise it and write it off completely. It is my understanding that FT3 and K72 caps are internally the same. Here is an internal picture of K72, courtesy of the internet.

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FT3 uses aluminum casing and thin tabs as leadouts while K72 uses thicker steel casing with solid poles as leadouts. FT3 is glass-encapsulated while K72 is hermetically sealed, and due to the thick steel case, K72 is even heavier than FT3.

One huge caveat to comparing K72 and FT3 is that the largest value of K72 available seems to be 0.056uF, while FT3 is predominantly available in 0.1 and 0.22uF. My loaned K72 was the customary 0.056uF and FT3 0.22uF, and yes, the larger cap is “supposed” to be more bassy. Lo and behold, FT3 does seem to be a little richer in the bass region; however, it was not a huge difference, and there is no way to tell how much of this is due to the uF difference or just the way these caps sound. This cannot be answered today b/c K72 does not come in 0.1 or 0.22uF and FT3 does not come in 0.056uF.

These caps do sound similar, but after doing A-B-A-B comparisons using music with and without bass, I can say they do have differences. K72 adds a pinch of spice and “kick” to the proceedings. Middle midrange to somewhere in upper midrange seems to sound bit more obviously “detailed” with K72; this leads to a little more tension in the listener’s shoulders when playing poorly-recorded material, i.e. the vast majority of today’s compressed and hotly EQ’d modern fare. Some may even call it extra grain, glaze, or hardness compared to FT3’s relative softer rendering. However, with clean recordings, I can see some people even preferring K72 for its more assertive, forward stance. Combining that little highlighting with a bit tighter control, K72 comes across as hair more dynamic and fun. Which Teflon cap should you purchase? Well, both are cheap enough that I think you should try both, but do consider if you wish for a little more smoothness vs. forwardness from current setup.

P.S. When you tap the stiff steel case of K72, you can hear and feel a hollow “ping” resonance. I tried applying a strip of EAR Isodamp material, covering about 1/3 of the surface area, which attenuated the sparkle and “detail” just a tad. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but depending on your tastes, a bit of damping may have a role.
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Are You a Contender?

So, are these Russian teflon caps as “good” as the V Caps, Sonicap Teflons? Well, I know some say no, but I don’t know how to answer that.

In direct comparisons, VCap teflon does come across as having the highest highs and the most linear response across the range. It paints the sonic scape with the finer brush, and its sonic signature reminds me of my beloved Sylvania 5751 triple mica black plate tubes for you tube people. On the other hand, the FT3 and especially K72 have a more forward, bolder midrange presentation, albeit with a bit less refinement and a bit bolder lower midrange/upper bass range. I enjoy listening to deep male vocals a bit more through the Russian caps while VCaps absolutely rule with high-pitched female vocals and instruments that live in the same range and above, resolving them with the finest of the surgical scalpel yet without any harshness.

I really don’t feel all these caps should be given concrete rankings, like number 1, 2, 3, etc. Let’s just say music can sound glorious with most good caps mentioned in this article, often coming down to tweaking tubes, interconnects, power cords, etc.
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Russian K40y Paper-In-Oil Capacitor

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I must thank “Bob B” and “Les Lemmars” for kindly loaning me these K40y caps. After the usual rocky burn-in ritual, this PIO cap settled into a confident, natural sounding device. There are some audiophiles who rank these PIO caps as the best of the Russian military caps, including the FT-3 and K72 teflon caps. I may agree with this sentiment when it comes to utter naturalness and ease of presentation as well as the lack of a subtle “plastic” sound, which of course all plastic (film) caps have.

Gladly, this PIO cap did not have an overly dark, laid-back sound some people may expect of PIO caps. The important midrange energy was quite forceful and engaging as well as richly harmonic. The rendering of textures was most reminiscent of a good vinyl setup, which is a good thing; and detail resolution was not lacking, either, but the extreme “air” on top was not as beautifully alive as with VCap teflons. Speaking of teflons, the only real reservation I have about K40y is in the bass. The VCap Teflon, K72, FT3, Sonicap Platinum all seem to have a tighter control over basslines with sharper leading edges and snappier decay. K40y’s bass is more woody, richer, but just shy of the vise-grip crunch, so if you’re a death-metal or electronica fan, K40y may not get you to the promised land.

Overall, I really enjoyed the K40y. Its raison d’tere falls squarely in the critical midrange, where tons of texture, bloom, and natural detail anchor the music without that subtle synthetic feel of many other caps. Although the voices aren’t brightly spotlit, there is a magical highlighting and intensification without turning bright.

Dare I dream of oil-impregnated foamed-teflon silver-foil capacitor…?
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Vishay Roederstein MKP-1839 Metalized Polypropylene Capacitor

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Audio Circle member “slbender” was kind enough to send me some less-than-exotic caps to evaluate, including the Vishay MKP-1839. His view is that most caps of similar construction, e.g. metallized poly, should sound very similar, no matter the brand or price. This was a good exercise for me because it helped with the “Big Question” that must be lurking in the minds of many audiophiles: are these expensive, exotic capacitors worth it?

Vishay MKP-1839 is the axial version of the more famous Vishay Roederstein MKP1837 (a.k.a. ERO MKP1830), which is touted as a good bypass cap, and represents a well-made, inexpensive metallized poly cap. And as it turns out, it also sounds good as a coupling cap. Upon casual listening from a casual house guest, for example, it is unlikely he will jump up and down and scream, “Put back that other capacitor X ASAP!”

MKP-1839 sounds pretty well-balanced, without obvious peaks or valleys, and pleasant; it is less hard-sounding than, say Solens. In fact, one can only wish manufacturers would use caps like MKP-1839 in their cheaper, generic audio gear. So, why should you pay more for your cap?

The most important difference between MKP and some of the better caps is the weight behind the notes. I’m not talking about bass weight or warmth but the fully fleshed-out, 3-dimensional harmonic energy behind each note, be it in treble, mid, or bass. Lacking this, soprano, chime, flute can sound just 2-dimentional and thin, failing to fully make you believe.

The other significant difference is in dynamics. The MKP doesn’t sound too lacking until you compare to the better caps. A “pop” or “thwack” via MKP sounds like a fighter who is punching to save his neighbor’s life whereas via a better cap, he sounds like he’s punching to save his own life. Similar difference in microdynamics as well; better caps simply let the small nuances and subtleties to bubble to the surface with easier effervescence and life.

I still don’t believe any of this truly answers the question whether exotic caps are worth it because the answer will depend on one’s gear, tastes, resolution level of the system, musical choice, pocketbook status, and simply how crazy you are. Time to enjoy the music, either way, any way…
 
Jan 12, 2008 at 11:47 PM Post #3 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by OverlordXenu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
You do know that it only takes a few seconds for capacitors to set, right?


This is true in most cases, however, it can change depending on the capacitive material used in the capacitor and the rated voltage. I agree as far as how capacitor won't *improve* anything. Stick it in your ear "V-cap Dock" owners.

BTW, nice collection of caps, though, maybe putting them on the inside of the equipment might help as far as aesthetics
biggrin.gif
.
 
Jan 12, 2008 at 11:52 PM Post #5 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by OverlordXenu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
You do know that it only takes a few seconds for capacitors to set, right?


Quote:

Originally Posted by colonelkernel8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
This is true in most cases, however, it can change depending on the capacitive material used in the capacitor and the rated voltage. I agree as far as how capacitor won't *improve* anything. Stick it in your ear "V-cap Dock" owners.

BTW, nice collection of caps, though, maybe putting them on the inside of the equipment might help as far as aesthetics
biggrin.gif
.



Seriously, you guys are going to start this debate on the second and third posts of the thread? You gotta be kidding me.
 
Jan 12, 2008 at 11:56 PM Post #6 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by colonelkernel8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
This is true in most cases, however, it can change depending on the capacitive material used in the capacitor and the rated voltage. I agree as far as how capacitor won't *improve* anything. Stick it in your ear "V-cap Dock" owners.

BTW, nice collection of caps, though, maybe putting them on the inside of the equipment might help as far as aesthetics
biggrin.gif
.



Oh, thanks for clearing that up. I thought it varied within a few seconds for all capacitors.
 
Jan 13, 2008 at 8:34 AM Post #9 of 801
whether it takes a few seconds or a few hundred hours for the caps to settle, i wonder why more amp designers don't take the time to burn them in before soldering them onto the boards.
seems like the simplest thing to do.
 
Jan 13, 2008 at 9:59 AM Post #10 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by PhaedrusX /img/forum/go_quote.gif
whether it takes a few seconds or a few hundred hours for the caps to settle, i wonder why more amp designers don't take the time to burn them in before soldering them onto the boards.
seems like the simplest thing to do.



Because they know it only takes a few seconds
tongue.gif


Plus, the people who actually believe in burn-in probably won't care if its not fully burnt in. They might even enjoy burning it in
smily_headphones1.gif
 
Jan 13, 2008 at 10:53 AM Post #11 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by TMM /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Because they know it only takes a few seconds
tongue.gif


Plus, the people who actually believe in burn-in probably won't care if its not fully burnt in. They might even enjoy burning it in
smily_headphones1.gif



Believe in burn in? Of course, as well as Cryo too. Black Gates take 100's pf hours.
 
Jan 13, 2008 at 7:12 PM Post #13 of 801
From what I've seen in the DIY forum, the people who have taken the time to measure some of these capacitors have found most of them to be of high quality, so it should be an interesting test.
 
Jan 15, 2008 at 5:43 AM Post #14 of 801
Quote:

Originally Posted by spritzer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Looking good!!
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It is very true that the only thing a good cap does is to mangle the sound a bit less then the other, lesser caps.



I would even say mangle the sound differently than the lesser cap
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